Loyd Alvin Pyle's Obituary
Loyd Alvin Pyle was born January 11, 1925 to James Lewis and Alice Estelle Pyle. He passed away September 26, 2017 at the age of ninety-two. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, September 28, 2017 at the Pine Tree Church of Christ with Ritchie Hamm officiating, assisted by Dwayne Simpson. Burial will follow in the West Mountain Cemetery.
The central parts of Loyd's life were faith, family and friends. Due to his faith in the "good Lord above", he was not afraid when he came to realize his time in this world was approaching its end. He said he came into this world strong and planned to leave strong. His family meant so much to him. Perhaps this was because his parents died when he was young. He was nine when he lost his mother and twenty when his father died. He was the middle child of seven siblings and maintained close relationships with each of them his entire life. He married Marie Sobey in 1946 and they had four children; Ron, Karen, Larry and Rick. The worst thing to happen in his life was the loss of his youngest son Rick in an automobile accident at the age of nineteen.
The success and wellbeing of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were his primary focus. He always wanted to know how each of them were doing and supported and encouraged them every chance he had. Due to his gentle disposition and humble spirit he continually made new friends but never forgot his old friends. He recently showed his grandson a photo he happened to have in his wallet of him and his high school buddies that was taken over seventy years ago. He made many new friends while attending Pine Tree Church of Christ the last twelve years. They were a tremendous source of help and support to both him and his wife Carolyn. For this, he and the entire family are immensely grateful.
Loyd felt very blessed to enjoy professional success. HIs business philosophy was to lead by doing. He always preached that "attitude and gratitude" were essential for success. He taught his children that you would never be paid more than you were worth until you first became worth more than what you were paid.
His professional life can be broken down into three segments with each lasting a span of about twenty years. His first career was as a parts man working for Ford dealerships. In1948 in Seminole, Texas he was working in the oil field as a roughneck and broke his thumb. He had to find another job and went to work as a parts man for Bennet Motor Company, the local Ford dealership. For the next twenty years he worked at various Ford dealers in parts, with his longest tenure at Pegues Hurst Ford in Longview from 1957 to 1968. The principal owner of Pegues Hurst, Julian Hurst encouraged and supported Loyd when he decided to go in business for himself and Loyd was always grateful for this.
In 1968, Loyd opened the first ABC Auto Parts store in Longview on South Standard St., now known as West Loop 281. Brothers in law Dr. L.E. Rutledge and Frank Sobey joined him in the business as partners. After buying out their ownership in 1979, Loyd brought his three children into the company as co-owners. He also made his "right hand man", David Gordy a co-owner and they enjoyed a special father-son type relationship for forty-six years.
ABC is now owned and managed by Loyd's children, Larry Pyle and Karen Cloud and grandchildren, Greg Smith, Justin Smith, Dereck Pyle and Bryan Pyle. The company he started with one employee and one store has grown to twenty-five stores and nearly four hundred employees.
In 1988 Loyd retired from ABC and turned over the company management to his children. He them embarked on his third career at the age of sixty-three. He loved horses and always "wanted to be a cowboy". He started L&M Quarter Horses and went into cattle ranching full time. The twenty years he spent on the ranch were some of the best years of this life.
Loyd was preceded in death by his wife of fifty-four years, Marie Pyle, son Ricky Dale Pyle and grandson Chase Samuel Pyle. He is survived by his wife of fifteen years, Carolyn Dauphin Pyle and her children; son Forrest Dauphin, daughter Shonda Majors and son in law Danny Majors. He is also survived by son Ron Pyle and wife Karen, daughter Karen Cloud and husband Dr. George Cloud, and son Larry Pyle and wife Deborah. The grandchildren to survive him are DeAnne Marie Sobel, Dereck Pyle, Lacey Pyle Mason, Greg Smith, Justin Smith, Bryan Pyle, Landon Pyle, Kelsey Stevens and Tosha West. He is survived by great grandchildren Carly Sobel, Brielle Sobel, Avery Pyle, Sophie Pyle, Haleigh Pyle, Landyn Talley, Ryder Mason, Kase Smith, Kooper Smith, Carter Smith, Addison Smith, Allison Smith, Cooper Cummins, Emma Jordan, Isabella Jordan and Dawson West. He is also survived by one sister, Odessa Hughes and one sister in law, Markoleta Taylor.
Donations to honor Loyd can be made to Caring and Sharing, 1303 S. Mobberly, Longview, TX. 75602, Camp Deer Run, 227 Co Rd 4590, Winnsboro, TX 75494 and Rock Bottom Out Reach, P.O. Box 214, Krum, TX. 76249.
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